UK retail footfall edged back into growth in March, though the uplift was flattered by the earlier timing of Easter and is unlikely to offer retailers much comfort heading in April.

According to the latest BRC-Sensormatic monitor, total UK footfall rose 2.4 per cent year on year in March, reversing the 4.7 per cent decline recorded in February.

High streets were up 2.0 per cent, retail parks increased 2.5 per cent and shopping centres rose 2.6 per cent.

However, the improvement comes with a major caveat. Easter fell within March’s reporting window this year, whereas in 2025 it landed in April, giving this year’s figures an artificial lift and setting up a tougher comparison next month.

That means what looks like a recovery in shopper demand may prove short-lived once the calendar distortion drops out.

Shopping centres delivered the strongest performance among the main retail destinations, while footfall also rose across all UK nations. Northern Ireland saw the biggest increase at 4.9 per cent, followed by Scotland at 3.2 per cent, England at 2.3 per cent and Wales at 1.6 per cent.

At city level, Manchester led the way with footfall growth of 9.6 per cent, ahead of Edinburgh at 7.8 per cent and Belfast at 7.5 per cent. Birmingham also returned to growth, up 3.9 per cent, while London rose 3.3 per cent.

Not all parts of the country shared in the uplift. Footfall was broadly flat in the East of England and North East, while the East Midlands remained in negative territory, down 0.2 per cent.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said retailers had been hoping for a stronger Easter-driven boost than March ultimately delivered.

She warned that while warmer weather may help support store visits in the weeks ahead, the absence of an Easter uplift in April means momentum is far from certain.

She also pointed to growing concern over the conflict in the Middle East, which is weighing on both consumer and retailer confidence and could add further pressure to household spending through higher living costs.

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA at Sensormatic, said March’s improvement needed to be treated with caution, arguing that without the Easter-driven uplift in the final week, footfall would likely have remained negative.

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